 |
The
Rogue Son
Abdifatah Shafat |
A
little while later, they gathered around Socane with what
they could find of the money, and he counted it. They had
long learned that when their father was angry with any of
them, none was safe. After he finished the counting, he looked
at them grimly; the money was ten shillings short |
| ‘Ye!’
Her exclamation was greeted by a slap so stinging it threw her
to the ground. She dug into the earth, wet soil crammed in her
nails; pounds of sweat dropped by her side; chills of horror
remembered, made worse by this night, a night as black as death.
|
|
 |
 |
The
Burden
Farai Madzimbamuto |
His
former friends had come upon him in broad daylight on the
street and clubbed him with sticks and stones and crushed
his head. It
was said that his brains spilled out, but he continued to
breath and fight for life. There was no hope, even when he
got to the hospital. |
Siraj’s
wife and infant son had lived there with him until the day they
were both found dead in the Gandhi Memorial Park, shot in the
head at close range.
... Siraj was supposed to have committed suicide with his wife,
but ... had a change of heart at the last minute. |
Hajira Amla
|
 |
 |
The
Joys of Manhood
Jennifer Makumbi
|
|
| He
gave Clive his half-smoked cigarette. Clive lifted an unsteady
hand and held the stompie pointing inwards toward his palm
as he’d seen gangsters do on television.
‘You
look like a bag of dirty clothes Clive. Have you no self-respect?
And you stink man!’ |
Tik-Tok
Jennifer Makumbi
|
 |
 |
Cross-Country
Emmanuel Sigauke |
|
| He
is standing a little too close. You guess he is Nigerian before
he even opens his mouth because of the heavy chains lolling
from his neck and the diamonds drooping from his ears. And
that ring with a big 'G' that winks every time his hand catches
the glare of the sun. |
You
in Paradise
Novuyo Tshuma |
|
 |
Blood
will Call
Sola Osofisan |
She had pushed Itangbemi,
their son, into the world before death’s eager hands
could seize him too, giving the Storyteller two reasons to
go to the big city for the last time: a baby and a body. |
| A
man sitting slightly out of the circle of men under the shadow
of the sun said: “This moustache of yours was already
shaved by the Tunjur girls a long time ago, give away this
whip of yours to Marieouma to finish off this damned porridge
and stop this hollow pretense to manliness! |
Stirring
Ashes
Yousif AlMahri |
|
 |
Naked
Lady
Timothy Spence |
The Naked
Lady appeared one hot May day along the dusty main road of campus.
... Alone, she carried the same thing she wore, nothing. One
hand formed a meaty fist, the other was open, swinging in time
with her strong gait. |
| The
man laughs. He squats so that he can look him in the eye.
‘Listen, young man, you’ll never see your father
again! But don’t worry; you don’t have to fear
me, yet. Your father has chosen an option for you that we
did not have. |
Voice
of the Gods
Dango Mkandawire |
 |
 |
Closure
Abubakar Adam Ibrahim
|
Sabo Dada
died exactly thirty-six hours and fourteen minutes after his
wedding. He was run over by a cyclist as he made to cross the
street. He had gone out to get a phone card to call and thank
those who had played a part in his wedding. He died instantly.
|
| Menire had
found a carton of beer of reasonable antiquity under his bed.
A family of rats had nestled in it, but the liquid contents
were fine, really. The hoard of beer was warm, but the evening
was cool, anyway. |
The
Fall of Phiri Bombai
Chuma Nwokolo |
|
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